A THREE strikes burglar’s late change of plea to admit his latest break-in has cost him a further three months behind bars.

Gary Littlefair was arrested on suspicion of burgling the former Grey Horse pub, in Staindrop, near Barnard Castle, and admitted to custody on June 22.

As a result, he was recalled to prison to serve some of the unserved part of a three-year prison sentence for robbery, imposed in 2016.

When the burglary charge was put to him, at a plea hearing at Durham Crown Court in November, he denied it and a trial date was set for next week.

But, with the trial looming, the case came back to court and Littlefair, appearing via video link from Holme House Prison, Stockton, changed his plea to guilty.

Shaun Dryden, prosecuting, said the burglary took place at the former pub which was under renovation to convert it to residential flats, from June 13 - 14.

The owner left £154 on a bedside table on retiring to bed and noticed £10 on the floor when he got up the following morning.

But it was only later in the morning that he noticed a rear door open and slightly damaged, having been forced from inside.

He also discovered a broken window leading to what were the women’s toilets when the building was a pub.

A strimmer, stored behind the old bar area, was also found abandoned outside.

Mr Dryden said it was only then that the owner realised that £150 was missing from the bedside table.

A blood stain was found on the rear door and a finger print lift taken from broken glass in the old pub toilet.

Both produced forensic matches with Littlefair.

Despite that evidence being passed on to the defence lawyers in late July, the 35-year-old defendant, formerly of Gibbon Street, Bishop Auckland, denied the offence at the November plea hearing.

Mr Dryden told the court Littlefair has 27 convictions for 52 offences, but his last burglary was in 2003.

Chris Baker, mitigating, said the defendant has now been back in custody for eight months since his arrest for the burglary in June.

Knowing his trial was due to start on February 28, Mr Baker added: “He has chosen to put his plea in now.”

Judge Christopher Prince told Mr Baker: “Had he pleaded guilty months ago the time served would have started running from then, so he has since spent months in prison which will not be deducted from the sentence.

The judge said the least sentence he could pass is the mandatory minimum of three years for three strikes burglars, less about seven months for Littlefair’s eventual guilty plea.